A Taste of Glaumora
by Bluetech
Summary: Soren and Pelli partake in a time-honored tradition between lovers, reaffirming their loyalty to one another. There's a reason the Guardians call it the Egg Festival...


**A/N: Meh, just a little one shot that's been nagging at my brain for a few weeks now.**

**God, it's been forever and a half since I cranked out a GoGH fic. The site this story belongs in must be dead, so I don't expect much feedback.**

**As short as it is, it was a joy to write, especially the suggestive parts! And no, I'm not a pervert because I admire writing these kinds of stories. The thrill of writing them is inherent in their design.**

**It's a particularly sour lemon, so don't say I didn't warn you.**

**But enough from me, as the real treat is down below. Whoever reads this, please review, and I hope you all like it!**

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><p>It was two years after the downfall of the Pure Ones in the War of the Ember, a ferocious battle in which hundreds upon hundreds of creatures had collectively perished.<p>

The defeat of Nyra, the Striga, and the last forces of the Pure Ones was a momentous victory, one that restored order to a realm that had known nothing but tyranny and endless bloodshed for years on end.

In exchange, the Great Tree lost its ruler, King Coryn, the second embered monarch since the time of Hoole. The wolves of the Sacred Watch mourned for his loss, but then the untamed howling shifted into a tune just as powerful: the Song of the Monarch.

While Coryn's spirit watched from Glaumora, Soren was elevated to the status of the new king of Ga'Hoole, and he would not rule alone.

Pelli, the owl he had rescued from certain death in a forest fire and subsequently pledged romantic loyalty to after a time, would rule by his side as his mate and his queen.

From that day forward, the peace the Guardians had fought to reclaim for ages returned, spreading across the land and ushering in a new era of knowledge and prosperity.

Under Soren and Pelli's reign, the owls of the Great Tree established new links with all the outlying provinces, and the Guardians were now able to interact with the entire owl world in a way never before imagined or executed.

Owls residing throughout every corner of the Six Kingdoms could live and flourish without having to fear satanic armies and the plague of hagsfiends.

On the Island of Hoole, life was just as uplifting and lighthearted.

Holidays were back in order, fresh groups of Guardians were constantly being recognized as the moons rolled by, and to visit the Great Tree for the first time was undoubtedly a lifelong dream for young owlets everywhere.

Whether as a result of the burgeoning sense of harmony cloaking the land, or perhaps by the mysterious powers of magen that scampered from the ether veil, the Guardians' towering home had sprouted a massive tangerine and pink flower, and beneath that flower lay a pod that contained a cluster of Ga'Hoole Tree seeds.

The notion of a second tree like the one upon the island of Hoole was both a miracle and a symbol.

The Guardians had fought the Pure Ones tirelessly for their freedom, all the while suffering inconsolable losses and facing the threat of annihilation many times concurrently. The Guardians had traveled to Hagsmire and back, and the appearance of the Flower of Peace – a name bestowed upon the blossom by Soren – was a physical reminder that order and concord had been achieved.

So long as that majestic efflorescence adorned the uppermost branches of its parent tree, the Guardians felt twinges in their gizzards every time they laid eyes on it. Those twitches were a deep confirmation that harmony would paint the land for an untold number of moon cycles to come.

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><p>The season of the Silver Rain had just begun for the civilization of owls on the island of Hoole, it being the very first day of spring as the long-extinct Others would have called it.<p>

The muffled snoring of hundreds of sleeping owls resonated throughout the Tree, blending smoothly with the creaking of its branches in the steady spring breeze.

However, two such owls were wide awake, the reason being that they wanted to briefly consult the Parliament. Soren and Pelli were walking languidly towards the Parliament Hollow near the base of the Tree, their gizzards twanging with excitement, as the Egg Festival was set to begin in less than two hours.

"Don't you remember how lovely the festival was last year, dear?" Soren asked softly.

"How could I ever forget, Soren? I never imagined I would end up being a mother, and yet, I felt so proud when I felt our three eggs tucked beneath me. And to think, the father of my children would turn out to be a particularly brave owl that I had heard much about, a true Guardian of Ga'Hoole named Soren."

Pelli's silky voice trailed off as the memories replayed in her mind.

Soren churred and replied, "Well, I never expected to fall in love with a certain owl who claimed I was a Pure One, and thought it would be better to attack me than flee from her burning tree. And yet, here we are, happily mated and the parents of three charming daughters, not to mention the monarchs of the noblest civilization of owls in the world."

Pelli gazed at him for a few seconds, then broke the fledgling silence.

"The workings of our world are mysterious at times, aren't they?"

"Indeed they are, dear. I bet even Otulissa will never understand them completely!"

They combined their voices in a short laugh as they thought of the scholarly owl, then quickly shut their beaks so that their churring wouldn't echo and disturb any nearby owls.

They knew the inside of the Tree as well as anyone and could navigate the myriad of passageways with ease. They guided themselves from their private hollow near the top of the Tree to the Parliament Hollow in a matter of minutes, their talons clicking on the thick wood as they went.

The path they were following eventually swelled into a small chamber lit by two torches and occupied by a chocolate-and-ivory bunch of feathers slumped against the far wall.

As the two Barn Owls paused in front of the sealed door festooned with intricate carvings, the hunched-over figure perked up rapidly and approached them.

"Hello,Your Majesties. I did not expect to see you here so early," the female Short-Eared Owl said, slightly ashamed.

"Hello, Madison," Soren replied. "Feeling tired already? The Egg Festival isn't due to start until sunset," he added teasingly.

"A little, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for nodding off."

"Don't worry Madison, it's alright. It _is_quite early for us night creatures to be awake."

Madison nodded in agreement and asked, "Shall I go gather the Parliament?"

"Yes, please," said Pelli smoothly.

Madison nodded once again and ambled out of the chamber, her talon clicks drowned out by the pulsing groans of the tree's base as the fresh wind blowing outside rocked it back and forth.

Soren stepped up to the door and pulled down on the short length of milkberry vine dangling just to the left of the seal. The door split apart down the middle, the separate halves opening wide to allow the monarchs in.

"You first, Pelli," Soren said, motioning with his wing.

"Thank you, dear."

Pelli clambered over the slightly-raised threshold and entered the roomy Parliament Hollow, second in size only to the Great Hollow. Pelli spread her wings and glided towards the rear of the room, alighting in the middle of the arced, bone-white birch limb that served as a perch for the entire Parliament.

Soren trailed her and alighted on her left side. Lit by a regularly-spaced array of recently-ignited torches mounted along the walls, the room was filled with an ample amount of deep orange light.

While waiting for Madison to return with the rest of the Tree's ruling body, Pelli inched closer to her mate and took to preening his back feathers.

"Mmm, thank you, Pelli. That feels wonderful."

Pelli pulled away and replied, "Anytime, Soren. A few stubborn plumes seemed to have sprung up between your wings."

He twisted his head around and nuzzled his neck against hers, flashing her an affectionate gaze.

He then rotated his head back to its former position and locked his gaze on the door as Pelli resumed her preening session.

Soren sighed as his mate left his back tingling, though the sensation was more pleasurable than irritating.

Pelli straightened the tawny feathers on his nape last, and then tended to his right wing.

"Digger has been telling me for nearly half a moon cycle that he and Sylvanna plan to try for owlets this year. It's the only thing on his mind, or so it seems. He says he is playfully envious of our children and is eager to have his own."

Pelli weaved his primaries together determinedly and took a break, shaking away the fatigue in her neck muscles.

"His gizzard must be churning up a storm, then."

Soren turned in her direction and replied, "That's exactly what Mrs. P said. She claimed there was a small hurricane whirling around in there, using those sensitive scales of hers."

"She's a marvelous creature and a loving nest-maid, she is. I don't know how she was able to sense that our eggs held three girl chicks. It's hard to believe, really."

Pelli exhaled heavily and added, "I do miss the quiet nights I spent incubating our unborn owlets, with you right there to keep me company. I even remember you reading the tales of King Arthur to me on occasion, Soren. I have to say that ruling this Tree is very much enjoyable, but at the same time, I feel a certain longing for the responsibilities that motherhood brings. If only things weren't so busy here..."

Soren caught on to what she was saying, but he didn't let it show.

_She's trying to tell me that she wants more owlets, he mused sternly. I can feel it in my gizzard..._

His most intuitive and valuable organ gave a small jerk as the thought faded away, solidifying his conjecture. She didn't appear outwardly distressed, but the undertones in her voice once again betrayed her true opinions.

In truth, raising Bell, Blythe, and Bash was more work than he had expected, but nurturing them and watching them grow was easily worth all of the effort he instilled.

Pelli had hinted subtly to her mate near the end of winter that she craved a new clutch, but never so openly as she had just done. The proximity of the Egg Festival was the prime reason she was releasing her inner desires, he realized.

Their daughters were eighteen moon cycles old and well into their Guardian training, having moved into the hollows of their chaw-mates when they were all one year old.

Thus, for eight months straight, Soren and Pelli had lived alone in a sense, the three B's no longer glued to their wings. Soren had rarely pondered the thought of having more children, but Pelli's shadowed anxiety was causing him to reconsider.

_I suppose I was so busy with my duties as king that I never asked Pelli about the topic of children. What better time to lift her spirits and satisfy her desire than today? It is the holiday when a new generation of offspring are welcomed into the world, after all..._

His heart held so much love for her, it was astounding how it didn't burst from the strain. Conversely, it pained him greatly when her usually upbeat and glowing mood took a dive.

As he trained his ebony eyes upon her, he marveled at how her golden wings rippled when she moved and how her chest feathers puffed out beautifully when she breathed.

_If my dear Pelli wants owlets, then I will give her owlets. I adore her too much to see her yearning for something so badly, and unable to receive it without my assistance. I will surprise her with my decision as soon as we retreat to our hollow. I hate to keep this a secret from her, but she will know soon enough._

His mind prodded him to blurt out the internal decree, but he clamped his beak shut.

After a tense silence, the two halves of the seal retracted with a grating noise.

"The Parliament is here, Your Majesties," said Madison's rich voice as she peeked in.

"Thank you, Madison."

The Short-Eared Owl smiled at Pelli and slipped back into the chamber as a small group of owls filed in. Flurries of wing-beats erupted as the Parliament members perched on their favored spots.

As the sonic disturbances died down, Soren cleared his throat and greeted them.

"I trust you are all well-rested and feeling fine. Pelli and I apologize for the short notice, but this meeting will not last long."

"No matter, Your Majesty. There isn't much daylight left, anyways," replied a Northern Saw-Whet to Soren's left.

"As you all know, the Egg Festival is close at hand. Much calling and flying will be done, which is not how the Egg Festival was celebrated in the past. Nonetheless, there is good reason for the Guardians to ride the winds of the night and rejoice, eventually leading up to the creation of the next generation. Aside from that,we have gathered you to finalize the location where the Flower Of Peace's seed pod will be taken."

Pelli took over and added, "Where do each of you feel should be the site of a future Ga'Hoole Tree? This will turn out to be a vote, but right now, all we ask is for you to speak your minds."

"The Northern Kingdoms are harsh, and though the Tree may survive by harnessing magen, it would have to be entrenched near the Glauxian Brothers' Retreat in order to have table earth to grow on. It would a be few days' flight from here, but that is where I believe the seeds should be planted."

"Thank you, Anthony," Soren said, nodding at the Great Gray Owl farthest from him.

The male Spotted Owl to Anthony's left said, "I agree."

"I think it would be best to plant it near the border of the Shadow Forest with the Beyond. That way, we could have faster access to the Middle Kingdom," stated the next owl in line, a female Whiskered Screech Owl.

"Very well then," Pelli acknowledged.

She and Soren turned to their left, facing the diminutive Saw-Whet Owl closest to them.

"What about you, Rick?" Soren asked curiously.

"I have to agree with Talitha. The Middle Kingdom is of much significance to our culture, and we could travel there quickly while still keeping in touch with Ga'Hoole."

The female Elf Owl to the left of him said sternly, "I agree with Rick."

"Arianna? Abel?"

Pelli asked to the remaining Short-Eared Owl and Burrowing Owl on the branch.

"The Shadow Forest is my choice," Arianna stated.

"I side with Anthony," added Abel happily.

Pelli stated, "It seems that the Shadow Forest is more prevalent, but I suggest we vote, once and for all."

The seven owls seated on the branch in front of the monarchs nodded. "All in favor of escorting the seeds to the Glauxian Retreat raise a wing," Soren ordered innocently.

Soren counted three raised wings. "You can lower your wings, now. Thank you."

When all the flying appendages were down, Soren faced his mate and said, "Pelli, your turn."

"All those in favor of the Shadow Forest raise a wing."

A flash of recognition swept across her face as she counted four wings, the voting owls smiling triumphantly.

"You were right, dear."

Pelli smirked and said with emphasis, "The Shadow Forest received four votes to the Retreat's three. I myself vote for the Shadow Forest, bringing its total to five."

Soren inhaled and added, "I vote the same as my mate, and a clear winner has been decided. The Shadow Forest border it is!"

The other Parliament members nodded to each other and mumbled words of understanding, and the outnumbered voters were not at all offended.

"Now that the site of the next Ga'Hoole Tree has been decided, when shall it be planted there, Your Majesties?"

Soren faced Arianna and replied thoughtfully, "That will be decided at a later date. The seedling will not grow unless it is the presence of an owl with Ga', according to the legend of Hoole. There is no way to tell when a noble owl will reclaim the Ember of Hoole and claim his or her place as monarch. It may be a few years from now, or it may be many decades. All of us will probably have gone to Glaumora by then, and it will be up to the new rulers of this Tree to initiate the seedling's growth. It saddens me that we will not witness the growth of a new Ga'Hoole Tree in our lifetime, but that is how Glaux intends it to be. It is better that we rejoice in the fact that one will come, and we shall all be watching from Glaumora as the miracle unfolds."

A wave of detectable depression and reality crashed upon the hollow, but its effects were soon eclipsed by unending pride and admiration.

"This meeting is officially over. Let us all ready our voices and strengthen our wings for the Egg Festival and its many traditions, be they altered or original. May Glaux bless this Tree and all its inhabitants, and bestow healthy broods to the families who are ready to experience the joys of parenthood!"

The Parliament members hooted and whistled boisterously as they exited the room.

"Another Great Ga'Hoole Tree, in the Shadow Forest. I can't help but marvel at how wondrous that sounds..."

Neither can I, dear," Pelli replied happily, all traces of her formerly downcast mood nonexistent.

"Come, Pelli, let's evacuate this enclosed hollow and revel in the splendor of the young night."

"As you wish, Soren," she replied, nuzzling her head against his neck.

They lofted from their centralized perch to the chamber door, opening it and hopping over the threshold.

"I would like to sit in the upper branches of the Tree, if you don't mind."

"Wherever you go, I go, lovely Pelli. When the moment is right, I will tell you the reason behind my nervousness. I don't mean to make you wait, but now is not the time."

She dug deep into his eyes with a serious look and said, "I understand, but don't keep me waiting too long..."

Soren wrapped his right wing around her and kissed her briefly before beginning the upward climb towards the Tree's crown.

They passed a few exit holes in the trunk while they walked and could have quickly streaked to a respectable perch, but that was the boring way out.

They chose to meander up the inside of the trunk side by side, swaddled in each others warmth and embracing the silence in which they journeyed.

Pelli's troubled thoughts about owlets surfaced once again, and she found it very difficult to put them to rest. The predicted outcome of the Egg Festival only added more weight to her mental ruminations.

Glaux-willing, Pelli would be gifted with a new clutch of eggs this year.

She had always admired her triplet daughters from the time they hatched to now, but waking up to Soren alone failed to please her spirits fully, as unfair as it sounded.

She was skeptical if he would agree to her offer, but all she could do was try.

So lost was she in the web of thoughts framing her mind, she failed to notice when she had stopped moving, courtesy of her mate.

"Pelli? Can you hear me?"

She snapped back to reality and turned sharply towards Soren, her face twisted with coyness.

"Yes, I can hear you. I was just thinking."

"About what?" he asked in that treble tone of his.

"Small matters. Nothing too important..."

She wasn't being honest to herself, and worse, she wasn't being honest to Soren. Owlets _were_important, and her soul was seized with ardor for them, but she was unable to voice her proclivity for fear of being rejected.

She was jammed between a rock and a hard place, her gizzard contorting unceremoniously. Only adding to her unrest was that Soren didn't catch on or realize she was holding things back.

"I found us a nice branch to perch on, just beneath this porthole."

Pelli craned her head towards the oval gap in the trunk. She caught a glimpse of the navy and rose dappled sky above, and the coral and turquoise Sea of Hoolemere below.

"You can go first. I'll be right behind you."

Soren strode over to the aperture and hopped over the edge, falling a few inches before his talons scored into the rough bark. Soren stared at her expectantly, his glossy eyes marbled with pink and blue splashes of color.

He helped her out of the porthole with his wings, causing her to crack a narrow smile.

"Thank you, dear," she replied halfheartedly.

"Is everything all right, Pelli? You're not ill, are you?"

"No, I'm fine, Soren. There are simply many things on my mind, not all of them positive."

Her answer was a step in the right direction, but still lacked complete truth.

"Do your best to cheer up, my love. Tonight is a night that will soon be filled with excitement and reverence of tradition! Do not let your poisoned thoughts drag you down."

"For you, I'll do anything."

Soren eased her up against him, an empowering expression on his less-than-perfect face.

"I love you, my beautiful Pelli, the queen of my heart."

She rubbed her head against his chest, blinking as a sliver of wind buffeted her face.

"And I love you, my courageous Soren, the king of my world."

In that moment, a burst of deep enlightenment flooded their bodies, burning away any negativity in both their gizzards.

Their faces beamed with righteous emotion as they gazed out upon the rippling Sea of Hoolemere, a tantalizing sheet of azure fluid overlaid with gold and tangerine. The fiery orb of the setting sun was behind them, completely blocked out by the wide trunk.

"The Guardians must be rousing from their nests right now. It won't be long until the festival is in full swing," Soren commented.

"Indeed, dear. We should savor these last peaceful moments, before the air is swallowed by the calls of a few hundred owls."

"It's hard on the ears, especially ours," Soren churred.

Pelli churred back and stared out at the horizon, for the Great Tree's leaf-cloaked boughs shielded most of the upper sky from view.

The steady breeze carried with it the scents of salt-laden spray, rain-soaked earth, and the sugary odor of milkberries.

As the monarchs focused their sights on the multicolored plane of union between earth and sky, the vivid coral arms of light morphed to penetrating spears of violet. The orange sectors in-between lost their luster as well, dulling to the color of rust and then to the familiar obsidian pall of evening.

Just as the last bars of mauve receded from the ever-darkening atmosphere, the first ranks of the Guardians emerged from the Great Tree.

Some challenged the hearty, ever-blowing winds and traversed the island, while others were content to alight in the branches and observe the spectacle while stationary.

The Barn Owls shrieked, the Spotted Owls barked, and the Great Grays boomed, sending cascades of audio in all directions.

Regardless of the species, the style of the calls was all the same, spoken in the vibrant timbre of love.

The first few adventurous souls heralded the beginning of the holiday, causing a surge of additional feathered creatures to burst from the trunk.

Just as the queen had predicted, the volume of the symphony increased and became more continuous.

Scores of owl couples bobbed and weaved in harmony, professing their adoration for one another with short spells of phonic stimulation. The loners who had yet to encounter their soul mates joined in the fray, praying that tonight would be the start of a lifelong relationship.

Relentlessly above the monarchs' heads did they pirouette and chatter, extracting every ounce of pleasure from the performance that they could.

The king and queen often let loose their own amorous cries, as it would be borderline slanderous for them not to.

The owls who happened to skim by their rulers often paused to give them cheery greetings before continuing on their way.

Ten minutes into the disorienting, raucous exhibition, a swift pair of sienna blobs rocketed for the conspicuous duo of Tytos.

Shortly after the visitors folded their wings to their sides, Soren exclaimed, "Gylfie! And Kenneth! What a surprise it is to see you both!"

"Likewise, Your Majesty," the male Elf Owl replied exuberantly.

"I do not favor those elevated nicknames, Kenneth. You can simply call me Soren," the king replied matter-of-factly, with a hint of playfulness.

Gylfie chirped and gave Kenneth a nudge with her minuscule wing.

"He's still getting used to the change in conduct, Soren. His skull is a bit thicker than the rest of ours."

He snorted and countered, "Very funny, Gylf! His Majes-I mean Soren, does deserve respect for his position."

He faced his superior and relented, "But if you prefer, I will do my best to call you Soren."

Pelli jumped in and asked, "What brings you and your mate here, Gylfie? Is it big news?"

Gylfie threw her head up and down a few times, her feathers blurring due to the speed with which she moved.

"Kenneth and I are going to try for owlets. Our gizzards are in a tizzy! Oh, the thought of chicks is too much..."

Kenneth stabilized her as she pretended to swoon, barely managing to encircle her from behind with his pinions.

"Steady there, Gylf! If you get hurt, we'll have to wait longer for our eggs to come," her mate warned.

She spun around like a top and pecked him on the cheek.

"You're right, Kenneth, but knowing that we might have owlets sure is yoicks, in a good way of course." "I don't see why Glaux should deny us that favor..." Kenneth said thoughtfully.

"Would you rather have male or female offspring, Gylfie?"

After mulling quietly for a few seconds, she replied, "To me, Soren, a son and a daughter would nice. That way, our family will be evenly split."

"I do admire your logic, Gylfie. Balance of gender is key. In any case, look what Pelli and I ended up with. Three daughters! Such one-sided distribution must be rare, or so I believe. That's not to say it's any less life-changing."

He flashed an adamant gaze at his mate, who mirrored his expression perfectly.

"Is our royal family planning on producing eggs this year?" Kenneth questioned resolutely.

_Oh my, he had to ask that fateful question..._Pelli thought ruefully.

Clearing her throat, the queen said, "We're unsure at this point. Soren and I will have to discuss it soon, before this marvelous holiday is left behind."

_Oh, we will discuss it, my dear. Very soon, and very intimately..._Soren thought slyly, repressing a chortle.

"It is a decision that is not to be made lightly, especially since you and Soren are the monarchs of the tree. Whatever you choose to do, I will be pleased either way."

"As will I, Pelli. There, I accomplished something!"

Gylfie pecked him again as Soren said, "Bravo, Kenneth! It's not so hard after all."

She and Kenneth stared at each other fervently, a mute signal channeling between their gazes.

Gylfie nabbed the monarchs' attention by saying, "If you don't mind, Kenneth and I are going to head off now. I don't mean to be rude, but that's all we needed to tell you," Gylfie chimed after facing the monarchs.

"We're not offended, Gylfie. Don't let us lazy owls tie you down. Go frolic in the skies with your mate! You only get to interact in this special way once every twelve moons, you know."

"If you say so, Pelli! Goodbye until tomorrow, and Glaux bless you both!"

The comparatively-plucky Elf Owls jumped into flight, beating their wings fastidiously.

"Glaux bless, Gylfie and Kenneth!" Pelli screamed sharply.

"What a lively team they are! Kenneth is perfect for Gylfie, I must say. A great flier, and from what she has told me, a superb navigator."

"He learns from the best navigator of all," Pelli responded sincerely.

Soren gave his mate an agreeing nod, enraptured by the way her slightly-dusky face glowed with an inner light.

They blinked and leisurely leaned in for a kiss, only for their trance-like state to be shattered by a trio of nearby giggles.

The source of the disturbance was none other than Bell, Bash, and Blythe, their faithful offspring.

Blythe and Bell flung themselves at Pelli and Soren respectively, causing their targets to stumble momentarily.

"Mum! I missed you!" Blythe cried harmoniously.

"I missed you too, Da!" intoned Bell.

"Oh! I missed you too, darling!" replied Blythe's mother.

"As did I, my sweet Bell," replied her father.

They broke away from their up-bringers to make room for Bash, who hugged her father and then her mother.

Once the salutations were dealt with, the monarchs' children clustered together inches in front of them.

"How's your night been so far, my sweets?" the elder female queried.

"It's been great, Mum!" Bash cooed.

"We were talking with some of our chaw-mates in Ruby's classroom, and then we decided to come and visit you," quipped Bell.

"Are you and Mum going to give us any siblings this year, Da?" Blythe asked tentatively.

"That's what Gylfie and her mate wanted to know a short while ago. We're undecided for right now. We should be able to reach a consensus later on in the night. In any case, don't get your hopes up."

Sunken frowns graced their heart-shaped faces, unsettling their parents.

The three sisters knew that no amount of pleading would sway their creators, and such feverish begging was highly unbecoming. They were firmly a part of the royal family, but that was the limit of their involvement in their parents' lives.

The only private information they heard was what Soren and Pelli divulged to them – as scarce as it was – as the Roots were off-limits to them. They were merely three sisters embarking on the path to Guardianship, while their Mum and Da jointly governed the entire Tree.

The weight of six full kingdoms was on their shoulders, and owlets were sure to complicate their busy – and often stressful – lives. Not that they couldn't handle it with external aid, but the dedication required to raise them would still be time-consuming.

The penultimate truth was that their parents alone could opt to bring forth chicks or not, and no one else could force them to lean either way.

"At least we have each other, right?" Bash asked, dispelling her morose expression.

"Right, sister," the other two females assured, perking up.

The conversations from then on strayed away from melancholy territory and into elated terrain.

According to the triplets, many of the Tree's hollows were stuffed with Guardians-to-be, nest maid snakes, and the elderly residents. The chatter was rife with discussions about rybs, who would be tapped for certain chaws in the future, and a fair amount of flivling to boot.

The frenzied ruckus of the first hour of the night simmered down by the time the moon rose, a mercurial smile hanging above the northern horizon.

The festival was only around two hours old by then, and most of the participants were perched snugly in the Tree's upper branches. To appreciate and reflect on the dead-calm night was the main focus for the non-coupled owls.

The coupled owls sporadically drifted back into the Tree, en route to their hollows to honor the underlying tradition for the Egg Festival.

A newly-plucked milkberry blossom was transported by one of the pair and placed outside the entrance to their home. Anyone who wandered by – be they snake or owl – would stop and change course, for the flower symbolized that the partners were in the act of making love.

To barge in on such a secret swapping of ecstasy and fluid between lovers was poisonously taboo.

This aversion to visual stimuli was superseded by the fact that the entrances were unblocked, allowing glory-drenched suggestive words to spill out and flood the immediate area.

In places where a single tunnel-like branch held multiple rooms, the moans resonated and were audible for many many feet.

The owls and snakes huddled in the Tree's less-restricted spaces seldom soaked up the drawn-out cries, giving them a quantifiable explanation of what was occurring. Moods were jittery and disconcerted, and the benign bystanders upped the volume of their debates to drown out the noises.

Those who were unable to bear the mental images instigated by the noise fled to the crown of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree in bunches, resuming their gazooling contentedly among the solitary natives.

Those were the two primary methods of coping utilized in and around the Tree. It was the Egg Festival after all, and nothing short of exorbitant amounts of mating were to be expected.

Shortly after the moon's illumination of the world with its ostentatious face, the monarchs' three daughters wrapped up their conversations. They said goodbye to their parents and reaffirmed their love to them with tight hugs.

Soren and Pelli pecked their children on the forehead, and then the semi-young owls vacated the branch.

They circled back into the trunk maze, intent on seeking out their chaw-mates and rejoining whatever chats were being carried out.

Their disappearance sparked up another blaze of longing in Pelli's bones. As intense as it was, her beak and her brain would not cooperate to make her fervor known to Soren.

He was perched inches away from her, utterly calm and composed, his mood polarity the utter opposite of hers.

_What if he doesn't want owlets? What will I do then? Oh Glaux... if only I could read his thoughts. I'm just an ordinary female Tyto with ordinary abilities..._

She knew he either did or didn't, guaranteeing a fifty-fifty chance of having her heart uplifted... or crushed. She was hesitant to take that dire risk, and so she conjured up small talk with her mate about every subject sans owlets.

She held her inner turmoil at bay, blocking it from surfacing on her face at all costs. She instead focused on preparing for Soren's inevitable answer, whenever he chose to get around to it.

A sizable portion of the mated pairs had departed the upper branches to engage in copulation, reducing the number of individuals that could be seen and heard.

The frequency of the vocalizations had dropped to a moderate level concurrently while the monarchs chatted. Given the fresh injection of unstable silence, Soren seized the chance to excrete the stinging secret he held in his skull.

Soaking up the frizzy, enchanting scenery from Pelli's nape to her tail, he raised his wing and brushed his primaries against her back.

Twisting her head around skillfully, she quipped, "Yes, dear?"

He drilled into her eyes with a steel-hard look and replied, "There's something you need to know, dear."

She shivered as a clammy hand of dread clenched her mentality.

_Oh no, here it comes! He's either going to drive me yoicks with joy, or make me go yeep where I stand..._

"I love you beyond measure, Pellimore. I will do everything in my power to make you happy. All that you've said and the way you've acted since the Parliament meeting has led me to one conclusion..."

"And what is that?" she replied shakily.

"If it is owlets you crave, then who am I to deny you? We have the entire night to... _indulge_ourselves in the privacy of our hollow."

Soren rested his tawny wings on her shoulders and concluded, "Why wait, my love?"

At this, her bones seemed to come unglued. As she slumped beneath Soren's wings, a guise of unbridled respite and infinite bliss froze itself to her face.

"I... I don't know what to say! I'm so overjoyed!"

Her mood darkened slightly as she added, "I trapped my feelings inside me, Soren. I skirted the truth when you asked what was wrong. I was scared you would... say no... if I asked about owlets. I... was dishonest to you... and I'm sorry. But now that you've agreed to them, I have nothing to fear."

He re-folded his wings and decreased the distance between them until their chests touched minutely.

"I accept your apology. However, my gizzard figured out why you were acting so odd. I refused to confront you about it until now, and I am sorry just the same..."

Pelli snuggled her head against his chest and said spryly, "I never knew you knew, if that makes sense. But now that we have resolved the issue, it does not matter. I accept your apology, my handsome Soren."

She picked her head back up and stepped away, bending down and plucking a milkberry flower from a vine beneath their perch.

Balancing on one leg, she held the flower in front of her and locked her twin ebony orbs on those of her mate.

She then drilled into his soul with a seductive stare.

"Let us return to our home and intimately experience what our love has to offer, with no restrictions. I want you to make me-"

"Soren, Pelli! How are you on this sensational night?"

The sudden female voice shocked Pelli, causing her to reflexively stiffen.

Soren stretched himself taller to see over her, spying none other than a supremely familiar Short-Eared Owl.

Next to Ruby sat another one of her species, clearly male due to his stockier build.

"Just fine, Ruby. Is that your..."

She jerked the male closer with her wing and replied, "Mate? Yes, he is my mate. Needless to say, he found my wing-work quite admirable."

The male bowed deferentially and in a baritone voice greeted, "My name is Ambrose, Your Majesty. It is a delight to meet the monarchs in person."

"Likewise, Ambrose. Neither Pelli nor I knew Ruby had a mate. But I must say, I'm afraid we won't be able to talk long..."

Intent on hammering the point home, Pelli rotated around and carefully rested her left foot against the bark so as not to damage the blossom.

"Why not? Oh... are you and Soren planning to... um..."

"Yes," the queen responded simply.

"It seems we've come at a bad time," Ambrose stated with melancholy.

"We can always catch up later, Pelli. If you and Soren want to enjoy... alone time... we'll leave," the female said strongly.

Soren nodded quickly, meekly.

"That's fine with me."

Ruby swiveled towards her mate and added, "Let's go, Ambrose. We have our own personal duties to attend to."

The male spread his wings and lofted into the warm, spicy air. Ruby did the same, and the two owls gracefully streaked off towards their own destination.

"What a surprise! We'll definitely have to meet with them tomorrow. That Ambrose seems quite the character."

Pelli orbited around and caught Soren's devilish, confident expression.

"Let's head back now, my gorgeous Pelli, before any more distractions slow us down. I will carry the flower."

She lifted her foot and allowed Soren to clutch the blossom's verdant stem in his charcoal-tan beak.

"Thank you, my handsome king. It is time for us to pay homage to the Egg Festival... in the most direct way we can."

Soren flicked his head in the direction of the porthole, blinking twice in a flirtatious manner. Pelli ambled past him, brushing her tail against his leg as she did so.

Soren matched her pace and trailed her as she hopped into the trunk passage, egging her on with the gratified light in his eyes.

As they began the uphill climb, Pelli's footsteps were giddy with nostalgia. She did her best to keep them functioning normally so that she wouldn't stumble.

_Everything I've wished for is on the brink of coming true! This will surely be a night to remember, in more ways than one..._

She routinely flashed her mate quick glances, causing a spurious smile to form on his face.

As they trekked ever closer to their home, muted strings of panting dialogue echoed down the passageway. It may have been unnerving to the younger owls, but not to them.

They themselves would shortly be adding to the streams of pleasured voices as they explored each other with no reservations.

The circular, winding path split off up ahead, and the pair of Barn Owls veered off towards the left fork. A sparse number of hollows lined the somewhat narrow tunnel, devoid of sound but not devoid of life.

Pinned against the wall opposite from a hollow entrance were two Saw-Whet Owls, their bodies melding with one another as they kissed.

They were oblivious to the Barn Owls' presence, entering their home after the Tytos walked by to proceed to the next level of intimacy.

Soren gave a shudder upon hearing two names being called alternately, dripping with ecstasy.

_Pelli and I haven't expressed our love in so long! It must be wonderful... a gizzard-bursting experience that defies all explanation. She's so beautiful... Glaux only knows how good she will make me feel..._

They rounded a gentle crook in the path and strutted the last few feet to their home, pausing in front of the oval-shaped entryway. Soren cracked his beak open and let the flower flutter to the ground.

He pulled Pelli close to him with his wings and primed her senses with a quick kiss.

"It's just you and me now, Pelli. We're free to do what we like to each other. Not having second thoughts, are you?"

Pecking him back, she replied, "Not a chance. After you, my love..."

Bubbles of roiling lust formed inside Soren, encapsulating his eagerness to smother his mate with limitless love. He walked dramatically into their hollow and surveyed the tidy, empty nest.

He felt his mate press into him from behind, swaddling his chest with her wings.

He turned his head and peered at her with his right eye, which glinted deviously.

"I think we should use the nest to better... _interact_, my love."

She kissed the luminous border of feathers on the side of his face.

"I like that idea, Soren. We will use it eventually. But for now..."

She rotated him around until they were beak-to-beak, raking her gaze up and down his form for a few seconds. She then drew in a deep breath and shoved her beak against his.

Her tongue dampened the feathers around his tawny beak, tickling the plumes until she guided it fully into his oral cavity. As their slick snakes met and wrestled, the monarchs were each gifted with a unique taste of the other.

A dense glaze of milkberry sweetness coated Pelli's tissues, slowly being lapped up by her mate's searching tongue.

"Mmmm, you taste as pleasant as you look," he muttered.

To her, Soren was flavored like Ga'Hoole nuts, rich and bold, but not bitter. A tangy undertone sizzled her senses as she swabbed him, almost as if the countless fires he had flown through smoldered in his blood.

"As do you, handsome..." she replied in a muted tone.

She led her tongue as deep as it would go, unable to pause the soaking up of her mate's tempting juices.

She pushed herself forwards, intertwining her fine chest feathers with his. In response, he cocked his head to the side and explored her mouth even deeper.

He then pulled his head back slightly and stared at her huskily. His heart beat at an increased pace, and his chest swelled up and down faster than before.

"Tired already, Soren?" she taunted.

"Not at all. You've been holding back, as have I, and this is no time for half-measures. I want you to please me, by whatever means you wish, and I will do the same."

She chortled briefly and replied, "Fair enough."

She pressed against him once more, ensnaring him by placing her wings upon his back.

He loosened his muscles and let her control him, much to her admiration.

Their tongues fought playfully, Soren and Pelli's saliva swirling and pooling into a rainbow of flavors.

"That's much better..." Soren concluded in between breaths.

"Have... some more..." she said emphatically.

She began rhythmically sliding her chest against his, sending warm waves of stimulation throughout their bodies. Soren moved his left foot back to brace himself, his senses titillated as her pillow-soft breast massaged his.

He would allow her to dominate for now, only to repay her duly when the time was right.

She licked the roof of his mouth, sending a rush of sugary pleasure into his skull and down his spine.

"Pelli... that was delicious..." he stuttered.

Pelli stroked his sturdy back as she continued to grind their chests together. Every so often, she could feel his heart galloping beneath his coat, thudding in time with her own.

She cracked one eye open and spied the nest a few paces behind Soren.

_You're going to enjoy what I have in store, my dear,_she thought darkly.

Little by little, she carefully drove him backwards.

His eyes remained closed during the trip, and so clouded was his mind that knew not where his mate was leading him. His skepticism went unvoiced, for he was reluctant to withdraw from the irresistible pull of his mate's oral dreamland.

He felt his tail brush against a jagged surface, and he rapidly cracked a knowing smile as he tipped backwards while still in Pelli's embrace. The edge of the nest supported his head nicely.

Pelli broke the kiss and removed herself off of him.

He blinked open his eyes to see her standing in front of him, his tail inches away from her midsection.

She held his amorous gaze for a few moments, neither of them saying anything.

Their breathing was now audible, short whispering spurts of noise that fell in and out of sync with one another.

"Won't you lay on me, my love? Bury me under your gorgeous feathers?"

She rocked her head side to side in disapproval. "I think it's time... I try something new. Just... relax."

He nodded minutely in agreement and sank down until his back met the bottom of the cup-shaped nest.

Her cryptic words bore little meaning, but even their shrouded significance was whisked away as she leaned down. Her tongue crawled from her mouth and touched his stomach, and she dragged it downwards until she reached her quarry.

A slick trail of clumped feathers were left behind, until the plumes disappeared around the edges of a spot of tissue.

Never would have Soren expected her to do what she just did, leaving him fully unprepared for the explosion of ecstasy she ignited. His talons clenched and his back arched as her sensuous serpent ran across the most private swath of skin he owned.

A feeling of unconquerable pleasure surged up his spine and into his throat, eliciting a strong vocal response.

"Oh Pellimore..." he moaned.

She had never licked him so tenderly before, and as such, that virgin exposure nearly drove him mad. The first time they had mated had been straightforward in comparison.

As he settled back down, he felt himself grow hollow as the explosion faded. He yearned for her to repeat her maneuver, to blow his mind and set his lower body ablaze.

With a huff, he ordered, "Again..."

She craned closer to the floor and obliged him, tracing the rim of his cloaca once.

"Unh... ohhh yes..." he screeched as his back rose towards the ceiling of the hollow, a subconscious reaction he could not – and would not – quell.

"Don't stop..." he declared with a gasp.

Pushing aside all her inhibitions, she dove for his cloaca and folded her legs until she crouched.

Over and over she caressed it, painting upon it with her drooling tongue as an artist did with a canvas.

Soren's unbridled moans of pleasure flooded into her acutely-tuned ears, compelling her to continue.

"Pellimore... oh Glaux... Pellimore..."

She could only imagine how wondrous she was making him feel, and part of her clamored to revel in the stimulation she drowned him in. He hardly ever called her by her full name, clear evidence that she was succeeding in snapping his self-control like a fresh twig.

Nonetheless, she resisted the urge to pounce on him and focused on her ritual instead.

_He will enfold me and pleasure me soon enough..._she convinced herself.

She buried her face in his belly feathers, blind to her surroundings but not to her target. She orbited around the perimeter of his pulsing cloaca for the third time, and then plunged her mobile organ into his sweating passage.

In that instant, he grunted, "Oh Glaux yes!" and crossed his wings on top of her nape.

Soren's throbbing skin below and his interlocked wings above, she was unable - and unwilling - to escape.

She lifted her head to suck in a pocket of fresh oxygen, momentarily battling Soren to do so. She then replenished her starved system and resumed the maneuver.

She scoured away at his inner walls languidly, unaware that she was driving him inexorably towards orgasm.

His muscles twisted into one massive knot as she licked away, threatening to unclench in seconds. He was on the brink of orgasm, and he would not let himself erupt, unless it occurred simultaneously with his mate.

Forcing his eyes open, he looked down at her and moaned, "Pellimore... stop!"

He unclasped his wings, and she met his swollen gaze.

In a calm voice she asked, "How was that, Soren?"

He twisted around and rose to his feet. He left his wings drooping at his sides, his breathing coming in ragged gasps.

He gulped and replied, "Amazing. Never in my entire life... has anything felt so wonderful. You nearly made me... lose control..."

She smirked haughtily and said, "It's a good thing you spoke up, then."

"Indeed..." he whispered.

"You owe me now, Soren. I want you to make true, shameless love to me."

He placed his wings on her shoulders and slowed his breathing, doing his best to pacify his overworked system.

"Let me recover first. I wouldn't last half a minute with you, and that would only spoil the act," he professed.

"Take all the time you need, my king."

He stood there for an entire minute, his ebony eyes locked with hers unflinchingly. At last his breathing turned sluggish and his heart beat intermittently.

Deep within her pools, he saw not only primal lust, but undying affection.

For the short term, they would drive each other wild with no regrets and no boundaries as to how they did so. It was but a fleeting manifestation of their unbreakable, long term loyalty to each other.

Without a doubt, Soren knew she loved him to such a degree that words failed. The bright sparks jumping about behind his own convinced Pelli of the same.

Their origins had been most awkward and hostile, but all that had been resolved through their interactions and dual interests.

Soren couldn't have chosen a more attractive female to be his mate. As spirited as she was, her outer beauty complimented her nature rather than conflicting with it.

On the other hand, Soren had suffered untold terror and witnessed countless deaths throughout his life, but that only rendered him more rugged. He was a deadly fighter in many respects, but he had a softer side when he was around her.

He was more split in his personality than she and did have his flaws, but nothing could stop her from loving him.

Soren cleared his throat and said smoothly, "Pellimore, I may not have known in the beginning, but now I see that we were destined to be together. You complete me, give me someone to adore and cherish. I was once lonely, but no more. I want nothing more to spend my days with you, and travel to Glaumora with you when our time here is finished. You're so beautiful, so well-mannered. Now and forever, I love you, Pellimore."

Stunned by his heartfelt speech, her response was delayed.

Blinking away the veil of tears in her eyes, she said, "I love you too, Soren. You rescued me from that fire, the fire that stole everything I had known. I may have lost my home and my family, but I gained you in return. Your willingness to fight for your beliefs and for your friends humbled me, and I felt that you were the one I could depend on. You are my whole world and everything in it, and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. You've always guided me along the proper paths, and sometimes gave me more assistance than I deserved. I know now that you aided me because you loved me, and with all my heart, I love you just the same..."

She nuzzled her neck with his, planting a brief kiss next to his beak.

"Since we love each other so much, why don't we show it?" she questioned with a teasing lilt.

Soren grinned slyly.

"We will..."

In one swift movement, he embraced her with his wings and lifted her slightly off the floor.

"Oh!" she squeaked in surprise.

He spun around and ferried her over to the wall nearest the tunnel entrance. He pinned her against the unyielding surface by spreading his wings out on either side of him.

She was in a half-standing position, the wall supporting most of her body weight while her feet held the rest.

"Mmmm, I admire your strength. Now, show me your skills. Your _lovemaking_ skills..."  
>she said pointedly.<p>

"As you wish, my queen."

A dim glow of anticipation and acceptance shone in her obsidian spheres. Soren seemed to fall into them and succumb to their beckoning spell. Everything they had said and done previously led up to this final joining of their bodies, and his soul cried out for the act to begin.

He stood up straighter and tilted his tail closer to her, dragging it along the floor and causing it to splay. He then eased himself even closer, his lower body molding into the space between Pelli's legs.

He rested his secret plot of skin on top of hers, a momentous merger that sent a mild pang of pleasure all over his loins.

He let out a sigh at the same time as Pelli. He regarded her heart-shaped face and asked briefly, "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready... ever since you kissed me."

With that, he blinked once and resolutely swayed to the right. His cloaca moved along with him, a spike of divine stimulation piercing his senses.

"Unh..." he grunted.

Pelli's eyes flew wide open as she registered the sensation. When her mate repeated the motion in the other direction, the bliss doubled and swelled.

"Oh Soren..." she stammered.

She grasped his lower back with her wings and established a firm grip. She bolstered the intensity of his rocking, brusquely grinding his lower body against hers.

After five repetitions, he paused and thrust himself upon her. Their warm cloacae united like a seal, and Soren's legs nearly buckled from the aching thrill that resulted.

"Ohhhh yes..." he moaned.

He reveled in the tempest for a few seconds before thrusting again, Pelli's wings pulling as he pushed. His eyes reflexively closed as he maintained the rhythm, and Pelli went blind moments later.

He spuriously ravished her at an accelerating pace, his temperature rising and his muscles throbbing from the effort.

Despite the gradual draining of his stamina, he could not resist his innate will to grace her secret flower _one_more time. Thus, his thrusting continued in a vicious cycle.

"Unh... Soren... Soren! Soren!" she whimpered loudly.

By this time, their energetic coupling had caused her to slump lower. The base of her fanned-out tail supported her instead of her feet, and Soren adjusted his position to match.

He stowed his wings away and leaned over her in dominance. She extended her wings and let them mold to the wall, tilting her beak back until it faced the ceiling.

Soren used gravity to his advantage, pounding into her roughly. Her voluminous silken shouts told him he was doing no harm.

"Pellimore... you feel... so good!"

"Please don't stop... Soren! Don't... stop!"

Their stomachs and undertail coverts were both damp and slick as dew-drenched leaves. Their cloacae leaked clear fluid, lubricating their bare skin to further enhance its sensitivity.

That internal pressure Soren remembered from when Pelli was licking him returned, building up like a volcano ready to blow its top.

Their two-tone voices combined into one heated sonata, urging him to continue despite his approaching climax.

As Pelli was beneath him, it was his choice whether or not to comply. He could hear her talons gouging the floor as he dug into her. He could sense that she was nearing the precipice of no return as well, judging by the increasing stiffness of her squirming form.

_I have to keep going for as long as I can,_he chanted mentally.

Three thrusts later, she arched her back and exclaimed, "Soren... I'm about to... you must... STOP!"

As her screech rang in his ears irritably, he put an inch of distance between his cloaca and hers – albeit with great difficulty. He let it hover there, picking up rolling waves of warmth flowing from her opening.

He peered down at her with narrowed eyes. She had frozen him moments before his mind usurped his body, but the internal constriction never dwindled.

It lie in wait for that final push, a push that would send him tumbling into a sea of inconceivable lucidity.

She swallowed mightily and panted, "You know you want it..."

She pulled her eyelids apart minutely, stretching her neck out and approaching Soren's feverish face.

"Give in to it... Soren..."

Time itself crawled to a halt as that single sonorous word flooded the space.

It streaked around inside his brain like a loose dragon, and then its claws snared his mentality in a vice-like grip.

Time jarred back up to normal speed, and then Soren – by no thought of his own – plunged downwards. Their cloacae slammed together, and both owls' bodies responded accordingly.

A nuclear shockwave raced from their tails to their skulls, and they each surrendered to the whims of an elysian orgasm.

Soren clenched his talons around her legs oddly and absentmindedly plastered his scorching doughy skin on top of hers. Pelli's hips arched upwards, her midsection trembling as her muscles convulsed.

"Soren... I can't take it! Oh Soren... oh Soren!" she screamed in gratified agony.

In the midst of his all-encompassing shudders, his reproductive organ ejected its load into his inner passage. It slimed its way out of his body, a blanched slurry of genetic material and protein.

No sooner had it deserted him did it enter her, oozing uninhibited towards its predestined target. Every ounce of the sticky fluid was transferred, with no leakage.

"Pellimore... it's coming... oh yes! Oh yes!" he crooned.

Soren counted twelve restrained jets of fluid as they emerged, sensing when their gooey texture and titillating heat drained out of him.

Realizing that the penultimate purpose of his orgasm was at its end, Soren's mental beast fled and dissolved.

He was himself again.

Exhaustion swooped in to remind him that his limits had been reached. His thrusting slowed to a stop as his eyelids drew back.

He nestled his forehead against his mate's, at times inhaling the tender air she breathed out.

Her shadowy orbs were saturated in visible enjoyment and bliss, and he took pride in the fact that he had been their cause.

Pelli was weak as well, having to rest even longer than Soren did, for obvious reasons.

When her stout heart resumed a casual pace, she whispered, "You satisfied me... as only a mate can. Never will I forget this night..."

Soren slumped deliriously onto her disheveled chest, the point of his beak grazing her throat.

"Neither will I... my dear Pellimore. I'm so tired... but I believe we shared... a taste of Glaumora..."

She churred and turned onto her right side, bringing Soren with her in a tumble.

The dense surface underneath their heads was uncomfortable and would only hinder their attempts at sleep. Pelli worked her right wing under Soren's head and blanketed him with her left. He mirrored her, their feathers continuously swapping warmth in the afterglow of their sexual escapade.

She nuzzled the bristly plumes in the center of her face with his, releasing a leaden sigh of affection.

"I swear to Glaux that I will never leave your side, my queen. Only death itself has the power to tear us apart."

"Those are wise words, Soren. And I feel it in my gizzard that they are true."

Soren gave a feeble writhe and closed the void between them.

He unbent his legs and carved out random designs in her belly feathers using his cracked and blackened talons. It tickled her at first, and then placated her soul like a tangible lullaby.

"How will we cope in the near future, my love? What if you..." his words lost their volume.

She angled her head minutely and asked, "What if I what, my handsome king?"

He inhaled to finish his severed thought, as if he was worried she would disapprove of his coming words.

"What if you lay eggs? Will you be able to commit to nurturing them, even after being unburdened for over eight moon cycles?"

_Oh Soren, I may not be a warrior at heart, as you are, but many times I have heard you say I am an exquisite and caring mother,_she thought amicably.

Donning a mask of seriousness laced with humor, she replied, "There is no need to doubt me, Soren."

She then added, "Let them come..."

Soren angled his feet down and locked his talons with hers, hardening the concreteness of their embrace.

His vision faded to black over the course of a few minutes, as if his mate's coal-black eyes ballooned out and became his new reality.

As his eyelids fluttered shut, Pelli thought, _Rest easy, Soren. I'm coming to meet you in the realm of love and dreams. I love you, and will continue to do so until we ascend to the stars..._

She felt Soren's gift of life staining her hidden tubes, proof that not only did he belong _to_ her, he belonged _inside_her.

Her body would eventually inject the other fraction of material required to create offspring.

Then, if the ancestral entity known as Glaux willed it, she would safely bear their future children in unblemished oval sanctuaries, owlets in the making.

As the monarchs had so irrefutably learned, there thrived no passion like Ga'Hoolian passion.

It tied a second binding knot in the illusory threads that linked Soren and Pelli's souls, and it surely would not be the last.

Lovers they were, and lovers they would remain, in life and in death, on Earth and in Glaumora, as they should rightfully be.


End file.
